Business is expected to grow slightly for doves and Easter eggs

For this 2026, all the major industrial brands are confident that Easter will be a no-brainer that, between chocolate eggs, doves and regional sweets, will exceed EUR 600 million.

On the artisan side, the first "Divina Colomba" Observatory, promoted by Goloasi on a sample of 300 activities distributed throughout Italy (53% pastry shops, 24.3% bakeries, 17.4% artisan workshops), indicates that 66.1% of artisans expect an increase in volumes for Easter 2026, while 33.9% expect stability. Prices remain anchored to a precise range: 86.1% place the product between 30 and 40 euros, and the sale takes place directly in the workshop in 92.2% of cases. There is, however, a structural brake: for 83.5% of the operators, the whole season runs out in two to three weeks.

Dario Loison, owner of Loison Pasticceri since 1938, closes 2025 with an 8% increase in sales, but on 2026 the tone changes: "Easter 2026 does not fall in a favourable moment: the winds of war do not help the consumer to experience shopping with serenity. Added to this is the instability of costs: fuels, for example, have risen by 20% in just a few hours'. On the raw materials front, price increases at the end of 2025 are still weighing heavily: 'to start production, the raw material must already be at home, so the cost crystallises at that time'. On 2026, expectations are cautious: 'In general, we expect a stable Easter'.

The reading of Giulio Bonfissuto, of the Sicilian pastry shop Bonfissuto, is similar: the volatility of cocoa, sugar and pistachios from Sicily makes planning complex. Cristiano Provetti, of Pasticceria Tabiano, broadens the picture: 'The forecasts are not rosy, the high cost of living is being felt' and the new generations 'are breaking away from rituals'. Yet his pastry shop has recorded a constant +8% over the last two years, driven by a clientele 'increasingly attentive to quality and raw materials, oriented towards the search for less industrial products'.

Light, artisan and preferably classic: this is the dove that Italians are looking for at Easter 2026, according to Aibi (Italian Bakery Ingredients Association). Data from a Cerved research preview, presented by Aibi, confirm the return of large leavened items as a consolidated trend. "What counts is craftsmanship, a decisive factor in Italians' preferences," explains Alberto Molinari, president of Aibi. Even if the industry responds with an increasingly articulated offer to intercept all tastes. "Easter is a shorter campaign than Christmas," explains Solito di Galbusera, "so the main challenge is to strengthen product visibility and consumer trust, consolidating the perception of quality and the relationship with the brand.

Alsothe Bauli Group focuses on the evolution of the offer, the expansion of channels and international development (the group's goal is to reach one billion in sales by 2031). But also by bringing typical festive sweets into daily consumption. "Pandorì is an example of this: a daily reinterpretation of pandoro, which today represents 10% of the revenues from the Bauli Group's snack lines, as well as over 1% of the overall national snack segment". And that for this Easter will be declined in the light 'Pandorì Uovo'.

Balocco expands the Maxiciok line with the MaxiCiok Dubai Dream - pistachio and white chocolate cream, crispy kadayif paste - and the Colomba MaxiCiok Extra Dark with 80% fondant. Vergani flanks a Colomba Pasticciotto (pastry cream and sour cherries, a homage to the Lecce tradition) and a Colomba Total Black. Bauli focuses on premiumness: 'the customer does not give up on the occasion, but values quality and perceived value more carefully,' explains cmo Luca Casaura. The group extends the Moro line with the Colomba Mora Farcita and, with Motta and Bruno Barbieri, launches Colombe Salate (with dried tomatoes and basil and with cheese and pears) designed for aperitifs.

In craftsmanship, the geography of taste is even more precise. Bonfissuto focuses on pistachio from Raffadali and introduces the 'Panettuovo', a hybrid of panettone and Easter egg with a cream kit. Loison Pasticceri brings the Colomba Tiramisù with zabaglione cream and white chocolate icing. Cremeria Capolinea proposes the Colomba Flat White with Brazilian Specialty Arabica coffee. Palazzo Varignana signs a leavened with lactose-free extra virgin olive oil by master Luigi Biasetto. Provetti (Tabiano) notes that the final price in recent years 'has practically doubled', but those who choose artisanal are willing to pay for quality. A product still capable of holding together the ritual of the table and the gesture of giving, even in a year marked by uncertainty.

Even in eggs, those who have focused on differentiation seem better equipped. Witor's has built its strategy around licensing and personalisation: 'The consumer today is not looking for simple chocolate, but for symbolic and relational content,' the company reports. The internal surprise 'has become the heart of the purchase choice', with an offer oriented towards collectability and brand identity. Of the same opinion Baci Perugina: for the second consecutive year, the surprise of the traditional range becomes experiential: inside the eggs there is a voucher to access experiences throughout Italia, from taste to wellness. Thinking of the little ones Balocco together with Bing, the famous animated series produced by Acamar Films.

Elite testimonial for Sperlari with the Mina Egg, created in collaboration with the famous artist and dedicated to the city of Cremona.

Lindt, on the other hand, focuses on the flavours of the moment with the Dubai Style Chocolate egg, while the classic line is enriched with Caramelised Pistachio. Pernigotti this year combines both the trendy ingredient of the moment, namely pistachio, and the licensing advantage in its lines dedicated to adults and children with the Pernigotti and Walcor brands.

On the artisan side, however, 'the search for good, recognisable products is confirmed,' explains Valentina Arzilli, CEO of La Perla di Torino, which closed last year with an increase in the chocolate egg category of +10 per cent. "In a more price-conscious market, the real difference is the credibility of the product: recognisable quality and consistency over time, because consumption has become more selective".